Mobile Phone Buyers Guide

A mobile phone buyers guide for first-time buyers - what do you need to think about when buying a phone?

• What do you want in a phone?
• Who is operating in your area?
• What sort of contract/tariff do you want?
• Other Questions

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What do you want in a phone?

Mobile phone technology has become more and more advanced over the last few years, with improvements in circuitry and screen displays allowing for more sophisticated designs and functions to be made available to users.

The quality of camera lenses and screen displays has increased considerably, to the extent that the photo and video camera functions of some mobiles are comparable to those of similarly priced digital cameras.

The increased amount of memory that can be fitted within a phone-sized handset means that many new models are capable of storing, playing and displaying music files and pictures, and running complex computer applications and accessing the internet.

Wireless features such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi mean that a handset can be more than just a mobile phone – it can be a portable media centre that allows you to transfer documents, music files and pictures to and from desktop computers, laptops, and other mobile phones - something that becomes an important tool for business or creative purposes.

GPS tracking technology means that phones can be used for planning road trips, or finding your way to an interview or venue.

You may find that a certain feature or function, such as internet connectivity, is an essential part of your purchase, should you, for example, need to store and transfer files, or send and receive emails On the other hand, you may prefer your phone to be just that - a device to make and receive calls or texts on. Consider what you want from your phone, what additional features are necessary for you.

I want something that will…

• Take pictures - Look for number of megapixels, display screen size and resolution, type of camera lens, zoom features and micro SD slot for memory expansion. Check if the handset is equipped with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or USB connection capabilities if you want to transfer pictures between devices.
• Play music – Look for a handset which has a dedicated music player built in – graphic equaliser, memory size and a micro SD slot for memory expansion, extension socket so you can hook up your phone to a home stereo system. If you want to be able to play music and transfer audio files to and from your computer, check if the handset can play MP3's and is equipped with either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi capabilities.
• Send and receive email – Look for a 3G device which has HSDPA technology and USB connectivity so that you can transfer documents between your phone and other computer platforms simultaneously. Check to see if each handset supports push email formats (e.g. POP3, SMTP, IMAP4 etc).

On all of the product descriptions of our featured phones we list each handset's main functions and features. Check the definitions section of our site for more information on the different functions of mobile phones; you can enter your specifications on our mobile phone finder.

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Who is operating in your area?

Once you have found a handset that has all the required features, you should check to see which network operators supply their services to the phone, and then check to see what each network's coverage is like in your local area. There is little point in forking out for a brand new phone if you can't actually get any signal.

It also might be an idea to speak with your friends, family and colleagues to see what network they are on, as calls made across the same network are cheaper than calls made to others. While most networks give you cross network minutes not all will. If you are going to call certain people more often it is worth checking their networks and making sure you can call them as cheaply as possible. Sometimes it is a good idea to speak to friends in you area and see what they think about their network.

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What sort of contract/tariff do you want?

You should look for a phone plan which most accurately reflects your phone use. For example, the general rule is that as with landline calls, it is more expensive to make calls on your mobile during working hours, and cheaper at evenings and weekends. If you need to make most of your calls during the day, then you should look for a tariff which gives you better rates for day use. If you text and call infrequently then it might be better if you go for a pay as you go contract, especially if your phone use varies from month to month.

The exact details of tariffs will vary from network to network – read our buyers' guides for each individual network provider for specific information. There are three main ways in which you can be billed:

* Pay As You Go / PAYG
– This means that you are not tied into paying a monthly fee. You load your phone with credit (usually from a shop, through your phone, or the Internet). The down side to this is that you pay a premium for your calls and also you usually have to pay the full price for the phone handset. These phones usually suit people who use their phones just for texting or calling on an infrequent basis, and also for those under 18, as no contract is required for a PAYG service.

The main advantage of a PAYG contract is its flexibility – there are no fixed payments to be made.

The main advantage of a PAYG contract is its flexibility – there are no fixed payments to be made, unless you opt for a bolt-on or similar deal, and you can generally switch between handsets with ease. PAYG is suited for more casual users who call and text infrequently.

* Monthly Plan / Contract Phones
– With this option, users pay a monthly line rental charge plus their call charges. The advantages with this is that the calls themselves are cheaper and the users also benefit from a number of free calls, text messages and often free or reduced price handsets and line rental. If you are a regular user this will almost certainly work out cheaper for you. The disadvantage is that you are bound by a fixed term contract of at least a year.

* Hybrid Tariffs
– There are now a number of hybrid tariffs on offer. These work by charging monthly for a line rental and a fixed amount of credit, then allow the user to top up their credit in the same way as a PAYG user would. The advantage of this is that it makes it easy to budget like with the PAYG phone but you also at a cheaper call rate than a PAYG user. The disadvantage is that these are still more expensive than the contact phones and again, the user is tied to a contract. This type of tariff is popular with parents who can provide their children with a mobile without the risk of receiving an unexpected bill.

Heavy callers will probably find a fixed or hybrid tariff to be more suitable – contract phones benefit from plenty of free minutes, texts, downloads, and in some cases, the handset and line rental is included free. With some contract phones, the handset, whilst 'free' in the sense that you do not pay for it, will remain the property of the network and you are obliged to return it once the contract has come to an end.

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Other Questions

What do I do if I already have a mobile phone?

If you already have a mobile phone you will be able to change to another network whilst retaining your existing mobile number. If you like the phone you have but want to change to a different network then you can just buy a SIM-only package which should be quick and easy to activate. In some cases, with contract phones, the handset remains the property of the network and so you will be unable to switch cards – check the terms and conditions of your network and your contract.

What is VoIP?

VoIP is an acronym standing for Voice over Internet Protocol, and is a technology that allows for the transmission of voice conversations over the Internet, or a similar network.

Many mobile handsets, such as the Motorola A910, the Nokia 6136 and the Samsung P200, which can be taken with a BT Fusion or Orange Unique Phone contract, are VoIP enabled, meaning that calls can be made and received over the standard mobile network, and over a landline connection via wireless router such as the BT Home Hub or Orange Livebox, in an internet café, or in a Wi-Fi hotspot, such as a BT Openzone, set up in a public area.

Since VoIP technology uses the Internet to relay information, VoIP handsets come with services which allow users to use services such as MSN and AIM, send and receive email, and retrieve and view documents.

Can I Bluetooth something to a Wi-Fi enabled handset and vice versa?

Not really, as the two different technology platforms, although similar in terms of functionality, send information to other devices on different radio frequencies, so the only way that this could be achieved is if that both of the devices had both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology installed.